Tomorrow, Thursday, May 21. 2026, we start a 16 day adventure, most of it with National Geographic. We first booked this tour shortly after we completed our first NatGeo experience in June, 2023, for a year later.

We have lost count of the number of times we have had to change the dates of this trip but think this is the 4th version. So we are excited to finally be on our way.

When we say we are going to Bhutan, the vast majority of people respond with “where’s that?”

It sits at about 8000 feet in the Himalayas, nestled between India and China.

Here is how NatGeo introduces this trip:

“Set out on an adventure through the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the only country in the world that measures its progress in terms of happiness. Explore timeless mountain villages, spectacular fortresses, and ornate shrines as you travel across this bastion of Buddhist culture, and meet local people from different walks of life to gain insights into the secrets of Bhutan’s wellbeing.”

That’s about as much as we know about what we are getting into, other than some hiking and touring old Buddhist monasteries. But we love learning about new and interesting cultures and this will certainly be both of those things.

Today we traveled to San Francisco where we are spending the night at friends’ house (who happen to be in Puerto Vallarta right now!). Tomorrow we fly from here to New York City, then to Delhi. We spend one night there then fly to Paro, and get driven to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

That’s about 44 hours to get there. They are 13 hours ahead of us. It will be chilly and wet for much of the trip. Temps like 50-65 and we will see how much it actually rains but the forecast doesn’t look great.

We will be in Bhutan for 10 days, then spend a couple of days in Delhi on our way home. That is Ash’s birthplace and he is excited/scared about me experiencing it for the first time. I do understand India is a whole different ballgame and am ready for all of it.

We do plan on getting to Agra on our last day so we can see the Taj Mahal.

That’s about it for now. Given the 2day trek to get there and the half a day time difference, I’m not sure when I will get the first post up. Should be some time Saturday evening for us which will be maybe Saturday morning for you depending on where you are! 

Whenever it is, we look forward to you coming along as always…this one will be new for all of us!